Today host
Matt Lauer reigns at the top of the list of candidates to take over as host of
Jeopardy! when
Alex Trebek steps down, the
New York Post reported.

The news comes as Lauer is being blamed for the faltering ratings of the morning show after 16
years at the top. Meanwhile, he has broken his silence about the ousting of former
Today co-host
Ann Curry. Lauer, who has been demonized by the public in the wake of her
demotion, recently told
The Daily Beast: “I don’t think the show and the network handled the transition well. You
don’t have to be Einstein to know that.”

Lauer isn’t expected to sign a new deal with
Today when his $25-million-a-year contract expires in 2015, or about the time that Trebek
is expected to step down after a three-decade run on the quiz show, the
Post said.

Sony Pictures Television has been quietly shopping for personalities to replace Trebek, who
suffered his second heart attack last year at age 71. Officials are also considering newsman and
talk-show host
Anderson Cooper, the newspaper said